Alessandra Belloni

Alessandra Belloni & I GIULLARI DI PIAZZA present:  A World Peace Celebration 'DRUMS OF ILLUMINATION' Saturday June June 16 at 8:00pm – St James Chapel – Cathedral of St John the Divine – tickets $ 25 http://stjohndivine.org/Drums.html   Southern Italian, Afro- Brazilian, & Native American Ritual Drumming and Dance  featuring the Silverclouds Native American Singers Link to Drums of Illumination Sample Video http://youtu.be/ekDfEYvluDw    

  In "Drums of Illumination" Alessandra Belloni unites four great cultures: the powerful African, Native American, the fiery Brazilian, and the passionate Southern Italian, for a journey back in time into a world of ritual drumming, voice and trance dances. Week end of Featured performers are: Alessandra Belloni - artistic director, voice, percussion, ritual dance. Her instruments include Southern Italian tambourines, frame drums, ocean drum, Bodhran, shakers Sergio Bellotti - drum set SilverCloud Singers - Kevin Tarrant, director, lead vocals, pow wow drum Murielle Borst - vocals, drums Josephine Tarrant – vocals, dance Davi Vieira - Brazilian percussion and vocals  Mark Mindek – stilt dancer Francesca Silvano ritual Dance Artistic Director Alessandra Belloni has gathered a remarkable group of percussionist/vocalists/dancers for "Drums of Illumination," noting that its purpose is "to invoke World Peace, thus showing that we are all one following the beat: the pow wow drum, the Italian tambourine, the Brazilian pandeiro or timbale, and the drum set. All will send good vibrations in to the air as a collective ritual of purification." Outfitted with an extensive complement of exotic percussion instruments, and both Remo Artists, tambourine virtuoso Alessandra Belloni and drummer Sergio Bellotti (drum teacher at Berklee School of Music in Boston), both from Southern Italy, have enjoyed a long collaboration celebrating and exploring the rhythmic similarities between Southern Italian and other cultures by blending various percussion instruments. With music both ancient and new, Belloni and Bellotti create a bridge between ancient rituals and modern rhythms into a vibrant musical tapestry. The evening's repertory will include: Tarantellas from Southern Italy, including the authentic Pizzica Tarantata, healing trance dance from Puglia used as an exorcism to cure the mythical bite of the tarantula Tarantellas used as music therapy and exorcism, dating back to the ancient Greek rites of Dyonisus . Healing chants and drumming in honor of the Black Madonna Work chants and protest songs Original songs to honor the Goddess of Love and the Sea, written by Belloni Brazilian ritual drumming, chants and trance dancing . Native American ritual singing and drumming.   Tambourine virtuoso/singer/dancer/actress Alessandra Belloni is renowned in her field and travels worldwide to perform group and solo concerts in theaters, universities, and international percussion festivals. Belloni began her career in her native Rome with the great actress Anna Magnani in "La Lupa," and with legendary film director Federico Fellini in "Casanova." She is Artistic Director/Leading Performer of I Giullari di Piazza, an ensemble of musicians/vocalists/dancers that specializes in authentic Southern Italian music and theater events, dating back to the 13th century. Belloni is a REMO artist and designer of her signature series of Italian tambourines; she is also author of the book & DVD "Rhythm is the Cure," published by Mel Bay. The only artist in the world who specializes in Southern Italian tambourines combined with singing and dance, Belloni was selected as one of the best percussionists in the world by DRUM! Magazine, and has been acclaimed in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, featured in Modern Drummer and Percussive She has been invited to appear in percussion festivals in London, Brazil, Poland, France, Italy, Australia, Rome, and throughout the U.S.   Don Hackman, writing in the Los Angeles Times, found that "Alessandra Belloni and "Tarantata: Dance of the Ancient Spider" is a revelation, utterly fascinating." Drum Magazine noted that "Italian-born virtuoso Alessandra Belloni is established as a unique phenomenon, not just a percussionist, but also an actress, lecturer, entertainer, and healer." Jon Pareles of The New York Times, reviewing an I Giullari di Piazza show, remarked that "Ms. Belloni sang in an exultant voice. The songs blazed with an age-old momentum." Davi Vieira, percussionist/songwriter/vocalist, and 10-year member of the off-Broadway show "Stomp." The native of Salvador-Bahia, Brazil has performed, recorded, and toured with a great variety of artists including David Byrne, Wyclef Jean and Bebel Gilberto. Vieira will play the songs and rhythms performed in Brazil as purification rites to honor the sea goddess and goddess of the river.